2024-08-17 13:02:10
Although the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the spread of the MPOX virus a public health emergency of international concern, Africa has recorded 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases since the beginning of the year. Counting the numbers, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that several variants of the virus have been listed, adding that 12 countries on the continent reported 3,101 confirmed cases, 15,636 suspected cases and 541 deaths.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the epicenter of the epidemic. According to the same source, the country has recorded almost all recorded cases, with 16,800 suspected or confirmed cases. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 500 people have died.
Africa is facing the spread of a new strain of the virus, discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in September 2023, known as “clade 1b” that is deadlier and more transmissible than previous strains.
This week, the first MPOX cases emerged outside Africa in Sweden and Pakistan.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, but can also be spread through close physical contact with an infected person. “Clade 1b” causes a systemic rash, whereas previous strains were characterized by localized rashes and lesions in the mouth, face or genitals.
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